Interchangeable center unit for



B. Y. JAMES Feb. 28, 1956 INTERCHANGEABLE CENTER UNIT FOR DECORATIVE PACKAGE BOW Filed April 12, 1954 INVENTOR. 5/// K Mamas 477URN K nga INTERCHANGEABLE CENTER UNIT FOR DECORATIVE PACKAGE BOW This invention relates to ornamentation in package wrappings and particularly to improvements in decorative package bows, the primary object being to provide an interchangeable center for the bow in the natureof a greeting card or the like and including novel means for supporting the card and utilizing that part of the bow itself which serves to attach the bow to the package wrapping.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide in a package bow center structure including a signature card or the like as above indicated, together with a holder for the card that is in turn provided with an opening for receiving a fastener that extends through the decorative bow and attaches the bow, as well as the card holder, to the package wrapping.

Other objects include the way in which the holder is provided with slits, clips or the like for holding the card in place; the way in which the holder is also adapted to receive and mount a floral spray including a collective body of artificial flowers and foliage; the manner of interconnecting a signature card with a holder by an integral line of bend; the way in which the holder is held against bending by staples or by an extension from the holder projecting through the card; and many more minor objects all of which will be made clear as the following specification progresses.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an interchangeable center for decorative bows made pursuant to one form of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, partially exploded view of the bow construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective, exploded view of the holder and the fastener.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form; of interchangeable centers for decorative package bows.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing another modified form of interchangeable center; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of the instant invention.

From a commercial standpoint it has become extremely advantageous to place on the market either preformed decorative package bows or material capable of being quickly and easily formed and cut so as to permit the decorator to form the bow and thereupon attach the same to the package and/or the wrapping therefor.

A simple, yet suitable bow, has been chosen for illustration of the principles of the instant invention and in Figs. 1, 2 and-4, such bow is broadly designated by the numeral 10. It consists merely of an initially straight, elongated tape of flexible material of any suitable color or substance folded and rebent upon itself to present a pair of opposed loops 12 and 14.

The bow has an opening (not shown) through the bight thereof for receiving an ordinary paper fastener 16 which also penetrates the ends of the tape from which the bow 10 is made and thereby holds the bow 10 in the shape and form illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.

* United States Patent" 0 my invention shown by Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, there is pro- -mental floral spray 38 for added attractiveness.

vided a- U-shaped holder 26 for the card 24 having a bight 28 provided with an opening 30 and a pair of upstanding legs 32 that are each in turn provided with a plurality of slits 34. The opening 30 conveniently receives the fastener 16 before it is threaded through the bow 10 and the tapes 20, thereby disposing enlarged head 36 of the fastener within the confines of the holder 26 latter is inserted within a slit 34 of each leg 32.

By virtue of the provision of slits 34 in the legs 32,

holder 26 is adapted to also receive and mount an orna- The spray 38 may include suitable artificial foliage such as leaves 40 appropriately colored, and which leaves 40 may be inserted in the slits 34 as best seen in Fig. 2. To this end it is desirable that the leaves 40 also be provided with slits 42 cooperating with the slits 34 in holding the leaves 40 firmly in place.

The spray 38 may also include an artificial ornamental flower 44 having a stem 46 that includes bendable material which may be wrapped around the fastener 16 between the head 36 and the bight 28 and be thereby tied in place in the manner shown by Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The modified holder shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing and designated by the numeral 126, is in the nature of a clip and may conveniently be made from a bendable wire material. It includes an opening in the nature of an eye at one end thereof for receiving the fastener 16, together with loop structure 134 adapted to receive a card such as at 24 and thereby hold the same in place with respect to the package 18 in much the same manner as the slits 34 of holder 26 receive and support the card 24.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing there is shown a card 224 that is integrally joined with a holder 226 by lines of bend 227. Holder 226 is formed by cutting an opening 229 in the card 224 presenting a lateral extension 231 forming a part of the holder 226 when the latter is bent to the position shown in Fig. 5 on the lines 227.

Holder 226 is held against bending with respect to the card 224 on the lines of bend 227 by reinforcement structure such as a pair of staples 233 attached to the card 224 and the holder 226 at the lines of bend 227. It is noted in Fig. 5 that when the holder 226 is bent to the position illustrated, the staples 233 are also bent into a substantial L-shaped configuration. Holder 226 is provided with an opening 230 for receiving the fastener 16, disposing head 36 of the fastener 16 within the opening 229.

Card 324 chosen for illustration in Fig. 6, is also pro vided with an integral holder 326 provided with an opening to receive the fastener 16 and bent at right angles on a line of bend 327. The means for preventing holder 326, in the modification of Fig. 6, from bending on the line 327 is in the nature of a triangular-shaped member 333 extending from the holder 326 to which it is integrally joined through a slot 329 in the card 324.

Manifestly, the modifications shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing may be used in connection with a decorative package bow and serve as an interchangeable center therefor in the same manner as above described with respect to the holders and the cards of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

While the principles of the instant invention have been set forth by illustrating and describing various modifications, it is to be appreciated that many other changes might be made and, therefore, it is desired to be limited only by the spirit of the invention as covered by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a decorative package Wrapping including a tape having a perforated stretch atop the package, a laterally extending bow having a perforated, central stretch atop said stretch of the tape, a fastener having its normally uppermost extremity headed to prevent passage of said extremity through the perforations of said stretches and the remainder thereof adapted to be initially passed through said perforations then bent laterally beneath the tape to prevent repassage therethrough, and a fiat, ornamental card, the improvement of which consists of means attachable upon the how by said fastener and adapted for receiving and positively holding the card in upright disposition, said means comprising a generally U-shaped holder having a fiat bight and a pair of fiat, opposed,

4 alignment with each other defining a normally vertical plane perpendicular to the bight and each of the legs,

spaced, parallel, upstanding legs, each leg having an up- 2 permostedge, there being a straight, elongated slit in each leg extending downwardly therein from said uppermost edge thereof, said slits being in spaced, parallel the lowermost extremity of the slits being equally spaced above the bight, said slits each being adapted to receive and frictionally hold a lower portion of said card with the opposed sides of each slit oppositely engaging the card thereby releasably holding the latter, said bight being provided with an opening of size adapted to pass said remainder of the fastener before bending thereof and to prevent passage of said headed extremity thereof, said legs being sufiiciently spaced to clear said headed extremity of the fastener, said lowermost extremities of the slits being sufliciently spaced above the bight to prevent engagement of the lowermost extremity of the card with the headed extremity of the fastener when the card is received by said slits and said headed extremity is operatively seated upon the bight between the legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 630,423 Stolze Aug. 8, 1899 FOREIGN PATENTS 166,627 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1934 OTHER REFERENCES How to Gift Wrap, Dennison Mfg. Co., Framingham, Mass. Cpw. 1950, p. 19, Fig. 11. 

